Paul Kelly announces major Australian tour

An iconic Australian musician has made a major announcement ahead of an upcoming album.

Paul Kelly will play his biggest Australian and New Zealand gigs ever as part of a major tour.

The Australian icon, whose hits Dumb Things and To Her Door have delighted Aussies since the 1980s, will play nine stadium shows across Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland next year.

The tour will fall over August and September 2025 and will be Kelly’s only live shows next year.

Paul Kelly has announced an Australian tour. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

Kelly will also perform three shows in New Zealand. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

The touring news comes ahead of Kelly’s upcoming album Fever Longing Still, slated for release on November 1.

Singles Taught By Experts and Houndstooth Dress have already been released ahead of the new album.

Kelly has won 17 ARIA awards and five APRAs across his expansive career, and he was also awarded the Order of Australia in 2017.

His iconic Christmas hit How To Make Gravy has even been turned into a movie which is expected to be released in December.

“Dan and Joe and Rita and Angus and Dolly and all the others have been stuck inside that song so long, I’m glad they’re going to get a chance to live life a different way,” Kelly earlier said in a statement.

Kelly will be supported by Aussie Fanny Lumsden.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit will also accompany Kelly on tour.

Kelly will be joined on tour by six-time Grammy winner Jason Isbell and his band the 400 Unit along with Fanny Lumsden.

Ms Lumsden grew up on a sheep farm in western NSW before going on to win two ARIAS and nine CMAA Golden Guitar awards.

Her album HEY DAWN clocked in first place on the ARIA Australian Album charts last year and was the fourth-highest selling country album last year.

However New Zealand audiences will be in for a folk, rock and art-pop blend with Reb Fountain opening the gigs.

The tour will span August and September 2025. Picture: Supplied.

The news comes nearly a week before the release of Kelly’s latest album. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

Kelly will play Perth’s RAC Arena on August 26 before heading to Brisbane Entertainment Centre on August 29, Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on August 30, Hobart’s MyState Bank Arena on September 2, the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on September 4, Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on September 6, Christchurch Town Hall on September 9, Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre on September 10, and Auckland Town Hall on September 12.

Tickets for the tour are set to go on sale 3pm Wednesday October 30, however a Frontier Members pre-sale will begin 3pm Monday October 28.